Load heaters



April 25, 1967 F. J. SCHMITZ 3,315,659

LOAD HEATERS Filed Sept. 1, 1965 F'l G. 2

INVENTOR FRANCIS J. SCHMITZ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,315,659 LOAD HEATERS Francis J. Schnritz, St. Louis County, Mo. (8905 Russell, Brentwood, Mo. 63117) Filed Sept. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 484,199 6 Claims. (Cl. 126343.5)

This invention relates to load heaters for use in truck beds for keeping loads of material at elevated temperatures during transportation thereof.

In the asphalt business, asphalt is picked up in conventional dump trucks at the asphalt plant in heated condition and thereafter transported to the site of intended use. Since the asphalt must be retained in heated condition until the time it is used, a need exists for a means for keeping the asphalt in heated condition for prolonged periods of time, particularly during cold weather. With such a heater, the asphalt-user would be able to eliminate the now necessary repeated visits to the asphalt plant, and in one visit obtain a load which he may use as required during a days period of time.

It is the object of this invention to provide a heater which may be stowed in the bed of a dump truck, in the midst of a load of asphalt, and which would retain the asphalt in heated condition so long as the asphalt is in the dump truck.

With the above and other objects in view, which will become immediately apparent upon reading the specification, my invention resides in the unique and novel form, combination, construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings, explained in the specification, and recited in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a dump truck in which is installed an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG.-1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the burner installation.

Referring now in more detail, and by reference character to the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, A designates the bed of a conventional dump truck, comprising a deck 10, a front panel 12, a left side panel 14, a right side panel 16, and a tail gate 18. The right side panel 16 is provided with an elongated aperture 20 surrounded by a plurality of threaded bores 22 adapted to receive bolts 24 for purposes presently more fully to appear. Beneath the deck 10, and conventionally attached thereto, is a gas supply tank 26 to which is attached an outwardly and upwardly projecting hose 28, at the end of which is conventionally attached a burner 30, all for purposes presently more fully to appear.

Disposed within the bed A is a heater assembly B,

comprising a burner pipe 32, a T-section 34, a forward L-section 36, a rear L-section 38, a forward stack section 40, and a rear stack section 42. 7

The burner pipe section 32 is a cylindrical shell, provided at one end with a flange 44, having a plurality of spaced bores 46 adapted to align with the bores 22 in the right side panel 16 and to receive the bolts 24 whereby to secure the burner pipe section to the bed A, for purposes presently more fully to appear.

The T-section 34 comprises a leg 48, a forwardly projecting cross bar element 50, and a rearwardly projecting cross bar element 52. The leg 48 is sized for snug fitting disposition in the burner pipe section 32, and is slidably inserted in the inner end of the burner pipe section 32. Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the lower portion of the T-section 34 and extending downwardly therefrom at the inner section of the leg 48 and the elements 5!), 52, is a leg bracket 54 which supports the T- section 34 above the deck 10 in spaced and parallel separation therefrom.

The forward and rear L-sections 36, 38, are identical in structure, each comprising a pair of intersecting elements 56, 58, and 60, 62, respectively, each element being cylindrical and being sized substantially the same size as the size of the burner pipe section 32. The element 56 of the forward section 36 is snugly but slidably disposed about the forwardly projecting cross bar element 56, and similarly the element 66 of the rear L- section 38 is snugly but slidably disposed about the rearwardly projecting cross bar element 52, all for purposes presently more fully to appear. Secured to and projecting downwardly from the L-sections 36, 38, respectively, are leg brackets 64, 66, which support the L-sections 36, 38, respectively above the deck 16 at approximately the same height as the T-section 34 is supported above the deck 10 by the leg bracket 54.

Secured to the top of the L-section 36, 38, respectively, and projecting laterally outwardly therefrom, toward the left side panel 14 0f the bed A, are side support brackets 68, 70, respectively, each of which are conventionally bolted to the side panel 14. The brackets 68, 70, secure thejsections 32, 34, 36, 38, together in the bed A, in substantially parallel separation from the deck '10. 1

Disposed about lille element 58 of the forward L-section 36 and projecting outwardly therefrom is a forward stack section 40, comprising a cylindrical pipe section 72 having a closed end 74 and provided with an upwardly projecting stack pipe 76, which is open at its upper end and which projects above the upper margins of the dump truck bed A. The forward section 40 also includes a downwardly projecfing leg bracket 78 and a lateral support bracket 80, which projects outwardly from the closed end 74 to the right'g'side panel 16 to which it is bolted or otherwise conventidnally secured, whereby to hold the forward stack section 40 in secured position with respect to the forward L-section 36. It should :be here noted that the cylindrical pipe section 72 snugly and slidably overlaps the forward L-section element 58.

Similarly, the rear stack section 42 comprises a cylindrical pipe section 82, having a closed end 84, and an upwardly projecting stack pipe 86, all of which are supported above the deck 10 by a leg bracket 88 and are secured to the right side panel 16 by means of a lateral support bracket 99.

-In use, the burner 30 is conventionally secured to the burner pipe section 32 by a conventional spring clip 92 and ignited, whereupon heat will travel through the pipe section 32, the T-section 34, the L-sections 36, 38, and into the forward and rearward stack sections 4%), 42, respectively, where the heat will flow out of the pipes 76, 86.

When asphalt is poured over the pipe sections, it has been found that the heat generated by the burner and within the heater assembly B is sufilcient to keep a full load of asphalt in heated condition for all day usage. The separation of the'assembly B from the floor and the fixed relation of the assembly B to the bed A permit the dump truck to be used with the asphalt in the conventional manner. The adjustability obtained 'by the overlapping pipes permits the heater to be used in various size dump truck beds without alteration.

Although the various pipe sections have been shown to be merely overlapping, it should be understood that this invention contemplates that more sophisticated slipjoint assemblies could be used without departing from the nature and principle of my invention. It should be further understood that changes, alterations, modifications and variations in the form, construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts may be made and substituted for those herein shown, without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is recited in the following claims.

1. In combination, a truck bed which includes a deck and a plurality of surrounding panels, and a load heater comprising a first heat conduit secured to one of said panels and extending across the bed in slight vertical separation therefrom, a second heat conduit extending across the bed in slight vertical separation therefrom, said second conduit extending substantially at right angle with respect to the first conduit, adjustable means for selectively altering the distance separating the longitudinal axis of the second conduit and the panel to which the first conduit is secured, means for convectively coupling together said first and second conduits, exhaust means convectively coupled to the second heat conduit, and heat supply means operatively connected to the first heat conduit for supplying heated gas through the first and second conduits to the exhaust means. i

2. In combination, a truck bed which includes a deck and a plurality of surrounding panels, and a load heater comprising a first heat conduit secured to one of said panels and extending laterally across the bed in slight vertical separation therefrom, a second heat conduit extending longitudinally across the bed in slight vertical separation therefrom, first adjustable means for selectively altering the distance separating the longitudinal axis of the second conduit and the panel to which the first conduit is secured, a third heat conduit extending laterally across the bed in slight vertical separation therefrom, second adjustable means for selectively altering the distance separating the first and third conduits, first coupling means for convectively coupling said first and second conduits, second coupling means for convectively coupling said second and third conduits, exhaust means convectively coupled to the third heat conduit, and heat supply means operatively connected to the first heatconduit for supplying heated gas through the first and second conduits to the exhaust means.

3. In combination, a truck bed which includes a deck and a pair of spaced lateral panels, and a load heater comprising a first heat conduit extending laterally across the center of the bed, a second heat conduit extending longitudinally across the rear half of the bed, a third heat conduit extending laterally across the bed, a fourth heat conduit extending longitudinally across the front half of the bed, a fifth heat conduit extending laterally across the bed, first coupling means for convectively coupling the first and second heat conduits, second coupling means for convectively coupling said second and third heat conduits, third coupling means for convectively coupling the first heat conduit to the fourth heat conduit, fourth coupling means for convectively coupling the fifth heat conduit to the fourth heat conduit, first exhaust means convectively coupled to the third heat conduit, second exhaust means convectively coupled to the fifth heat conduit, heating means for suppling a flow of heated gas through the first, second and third conduits to the first exhaust means and simultaneously through the first, fourth and fifth conduits to the second exhaust means, leg means for holding the conduits in spaced separation from the deck, and means for securing the conduits and coupling means with respect to the truck bed, all of said coupling means integrally including means for selectively altering the position of the second and fourth conduits with respect to the lateral panels of the truck bed, and said first and third coupling means integrally including means for selectively adjusting the separation between the conduits which extend laterally across the truck bed.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the first heat conduit is secured to and projects through one of the lateral panels, and the heating means includes a gas tank secured below the truck bed and a burner which is inserted into the first heat conduit adjacent the projection through the lateral panel.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the first coupling means and the third coupling means are integrally included in a single element which simultaneously couples the second and fourth conduits together and to the first conduit immediately adjacent the other lateral panel of the truck bed.

6. The device of claim 5 in which all conduits and all coupling means are cylindrical and sized for snug fitting overlapping disposition whereby to make the length and width of the heater adjustable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,185,594 1/1940 Kittel 126-3435 X 2,270,726 1/1942 Elze et al 126-3435 2,368,177 1/1945 Turpin 126-3435 X 2,830,577 4/1958 Walter 126-3435 3,086,512 4/1963 Williams et al. 126-3435 3,134,628 5/1964 Lackey et al. 126-3435 X CHARLES J. MYHRE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A TRUCK BED WHICH INCLUDES A DECK AND A PLURALITY OF SURROUNDING PANELS, AND A LOAD HEATER COMPRISING A FIRST HEAT CONDUIT SECURED TO ONE OF SAID PANELS AND EXTENDING ACROSS THE BED IN SLIGHT VERTICAL SEPARATION THEREFROM, A SECOND HEAT CONDUIT EXTENDING ACROSS THE BED IN SLIGHT VERTICAL SEPARATION THEREFROM, SAID SECOND CONDUIT EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST CONDUIT, ADJUSTABLE MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ALTERING THE DISTANCE SEPARATING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SECOND CONDUIT AND THE PANEL TO WHICH THE FIRST CONDUIT IS SECURED, MEANS FOR CONVECTIVELY COUPLING TOGETHER SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONDUIT, EXHAUST MEANS CONVECTIVELY COUPLED TO THE SECOND HEAT CONDUIT, AND HEAT SUPPLY MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE FIRST HEAT CONDUIT FOR SUPPLYING HEATED GAS THROUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND CONDUITS TO THE EXHAUST MEANS. 